The iPhone, the iPad, the iPod : each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (時尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” — and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer — which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet — adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear — popular in the US and UK — that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper came out last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i” products are aimed at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it is no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i” . Why not use “a”, “b” or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPad, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition ,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (輕便).” adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “Twitter”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, fads come and go. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably(不可避免地)disappeared.

  1. 1.

    People use iPlayer to ____________.

    1. A.
      listen to music
    2. B.
      make a call
    3. C.
      watch TV programs online
    4. D.
      read newspapers
  2. 2.

    We can infer that the Independent’s “ i ” is aimed at _____________.

    1. A.
      young readers
    2. B.
      old readers
    3. C.
      fashionable women
    4. D.
      engineers
  3. 3.

    Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products that are ______________.

    1. A.
      advanced
    2. B.
      portable
    3. C.
      recyclable
    4. D.
      environmentally friendly
  4. 4.

    The author of the passage would probably agree that _______________.

    1. A.
      “i” products are often of high quality
    2. B.
      all “i” products have something to do with Internet
    3. C.
      the popularity of “i” products may not last long
    4. D.
      iTeddy is a live bear
CABC
1.根據(jù)The BBC’s iPlayer — which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet 可知選C。
2.根據(jù)Most “i” products are aimed at young people 可知選A。
3.根據(jù)“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (輕便).” adds Thorne.可知選B。
4.根據(jù)But as history shows, fads come and go.及下文描述,任何一種時尚都會在將來成為一種歷史,故選C,這種i產(chǎn)品的流行不會持續(xù)下去。
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科目:高中英語 來源:2014屆四川省邛崍市高三第一次月考英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Don’t talk to me; I’m busy with my iPhone

Riding a London subway, a person from China will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other. In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness—people are just too busy to bother looking.

Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet reflection, nor are they reading a book. New technology has replaced quiet habits. Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book.

Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters(乘車上下班的人). Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40,000—yes, that’s 40,000—“apps” (programs downloaded for the iPhone) have been designed.

Commuters love them because they are the perfect time-fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks. Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. ISteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “ steam” on your phone screen.

For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be another choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music—iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages.

And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film. The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV show or film on the way to work. With all this entertainments, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train.

1.People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because they are busy ________.

A.playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films.

B.going to work

C.reading books

D.thinking private things

2.Those who like war games can download ________ to their iPhones.

A.Tube Exits   B.iShoot C.ISteam         D.iPod

3.The underlined word “occupied” in the last paragraph probably means ________.

A.delighted    B.busy    C.controlled   D.a(chǎn)mused

4.The article tells us that ________.

A.London commuters are unfriendly to strangers

B.Apple has earned a lo of money from selling 40,000 iPhones

C.with all the new time-fillers, London commuters often forget to get off the train.

D.technology is changing the way London commuters spend their traveling time.

 

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科目:高中英語 來源:2014屆吉林省吉林市高三開學(xué)摸底考試英語卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Riding a London subway, a person from other countries will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other.In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness ― people are just too busy to bother looking.

  Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet thinking.Nor are they reading a book.New technology has replaced quiet habits.Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book.

  Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters(使用月票上下班者). Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40, 000 ― yes, 40, 000 “apps” have been designed.

  Commuters love them because they are the perfect time - fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks.Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. iSteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “steam” on your phone screen.

  For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be the distraction (消遣) of choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music - iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages.

  And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film? The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV shows or films on the way to work.With all these distractions, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train.

1.Those who want to save time to reach where they go can download ________ to their iPhones

A. iShoot                         B. Tube Exits         C. iSteam               D. iPod

2.People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because ________.

A. they are going to work and have no time to communicate with each other

B. they love reading books and do not want to be disturbed

C. they feel sleepy because of getting up early

D. they’re busy playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films

3.The underlined word “apps” in the third paragraph means ________.

A. computers

B. programs downloaded for the iPhone

C. computer companies

D. fortune from London commuters

4.The main idea of the passage is that ________.

A. London commuters are unfriendly to strangers

B. Apple has earned a lot of money from selling 40, 000 apps

C. technology is changing how London commuters spend their traveling time

D. riding a London subway is a must when visiting London

 

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科目:高中英語 來源:2015屆河北省高一第二次月考英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Have you listened to music on an iPod? Used a computer at home? Those are just two of the ways your life was touched by the work of Steve Jobs.

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Steven Jobs was born in Los Altos, California. He and his childhood friend, Steve Wozniak, designed and built the first Apple computer in his parents’ garage in the 1970s. The Apple II, built when Jobs was just 21 years old, was the first personal computer to be widely sold to the public.

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Jobs also changed the music and film industries. He started Pixar, a film production company in 1986. Toy Story was the world’s first computer-animated feature film (電腦動畫電影).

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All around the world, people are talking about the effects that Jobs’ creations have had. By creating products that surprised people, he changed the way people worked and lived their everyday lives.

1.Which of the following about Steve Jobs is NOT true?

A.He was born in California in 1955.

B.He built the Apple II in 1970.

C.He set up a film production company at 31.

D.He was found to suffer from cancer at 49.

2.The underlined word “innovators” in Paragraph 6 could best be replaced by _____.

A.inventors         B.businessmen       C.producers         D.founders

3.According to Barack Obama, the highest praise for Steve Jobs is that _____.

A.his products are widely used all over the world

B.his products are thought to be beautiful and easy to use

C.people all over the world are sad at his death

D.people learned about his death from his products

4.Jobs changed the way we work and live by _____.

A.building the first personal computer

B.making computer-animated feature films

C.developing the music industry

D.creating surprising products

 

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Maybe you’ve just invented something better than the iPhone or a solar-powered car. You don’t want anyone to steal your design. What should you do? Patent (申請專利) it! Patents are the best way to get credit for your work and help others continue advancing in that field. Here’s what you need to know.

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Although many patented inventions can be failures, there’s plenty of room for success. So if you have a cool invention, try to patent it.

1.Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A.A patent can last for around 20 years.

B.Everything new can be patented.

C.Your invention is protected after you have applied for a patent.

D.Some patents are on the things that we use every day.

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C.a(chǎn) famous brand in the world               D.a(chǎn) practical bike on the market

3.The underlined word “device” in Paragraph 5 can best be replaced by “_____”.

A.weapon           B.medicine          C.equipment         D.strength

4.The purpose of writing this passage is to _____.

A.a(chǎn)dvertise          B.persuade          C.warn             D.inform

 

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The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一時的風(fēng)尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” – and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer – which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet –adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear – popular in the US and UK – that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.

In general, single-letter prefixes(前綴) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use. Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.

But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he said.

“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now linked with portability.” added Thorne.

Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.

Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.

But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.

1.People use iPlayer to ________.   

A.listen to music                          B.make a call

C.watch TV programs online                 D.read newspapers

2.We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at ________.

A.young readers      B.old readers        C.fashionable women  D.engineers

3.The underlined word “ambiguous” means “________”.

A.popular           B.uncertain          C.definite           D.unique

4.Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are ________.

A.portable                              B.environmentally friendly

C.a(chǎn)dvanced                             D.recyclable

5.The writer suggests that ________.

A.“i” products are often of high quality

B.iTeddy is a live bear

C.the letter “b” replaces the letter “i” to name the products

D.the popularity of “i” products may not last long

 

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